Interaction between Artificial Intelligence and teaching strategies: an investigation on the Italian teachers' point of view

Artificial Intelligence is now entering all contexts of people's lives and is increasingly influencing the school education sector at all levels. As a result, there is a call for research and educational policies to steer the school sector towards equipping students and teachers for technological advancements, empowering them to drive innovation. The training of educators should encompass not only the theoretical underpinnings of these subjects but also, and more importantly, focus on devising innovative pedagogical strategies. The focal point of this study is a hands-on 6- hour workshop centered on the intersection of "Didactics and AI," which engaged 102 STEM educators from different parts of Italy spanning primary to secondary levels. The research seeks to address the following inquiries: What is the current pedagogical approach towards AI in Italian schools? Which attributes should be accentuated, and what facets should be prioritized in educators' instructional planning? To address these queries, an examination of educators' responses from both the pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys was conducted. The main results indicate that educators recognize the importance of understanding and using artificial intelligence, but at the same time they feel the need to be adequately trained to effectively use the technological potential in a didactic-pedagogical perspective.